Kimbriki LFG flare project

Kimbriki LFG flare project is a Landfill Gas generation project located at the Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre in Terrey Hills, approximately 25 kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project operates within the boundary of the waste management facility which spans roughly 34 hectares. The surrounding region of Terrey Hills and Ingleside is characterized by semi-rural land use, including large residential lots, equestrian facilities, and significant proximity to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination. This methodology involves the installation of a gas collection system, comprising vertical wells and horizontal trenches, to extract methane generated by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. Instead of venting this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, the project captures it and combusts it in a high-temperature flare (approximately 800°C), converting the methane into carbon dioxide, which has a significantly lower global warming potential.

Environmentally, the location sits within a high-rainfall zone typical of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, often receiving higher precipitation than the city basin due to local topography. The soil profile is consistent with the Hawkesbury Sandstone landscape, typically consisting of sandy loams overlying clay subsoils.

A unique aspect of this project is its specific use of horizontal gas extraction trenches installed progressively as landfill cells are filled, allowing for earlier gas capture compared to traditional vertical wells which are often drilled only after a cell is capped. The facility is owned by Kimbriki Environmental Enterprises Pty Ltd, a company jointly held by the Northern Beaches Council (96%) and Mosman Council (4%). While the proponent investigated electricity generation, it was deemed commercially unviable due to gas volumes, leading to the decision to focus exclusively on flaring. The project generates approximately 15,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) annually.